


Let It Burn

by SunlightOnTheWater



Series: Pathways [12]
Category: Riddick (2013), Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, POV Boss Johns, POV Riddick, POV Sam Winchester, Past Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-21
Updated: 2014-08-21
Packaged: 2018-02-12 18:51:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2120865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunlightOnTheWater/pseuds/SunlightOnTheWater
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Riddick finds himself trapped in the desert with the least stable of his two kids.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Riddick

_"Some people like to say that how you start your life sets the tone for the rest of your existence. Don't know what being found in a dumpster with your own cord wrapped 'round your neck says 'bout what your life's going to be but it's not a promising start."_

* * *

He was used to being left for dead. Ever since he had been born, Richard B. Riddick had been crossed off the list. Life had been counting him out from the beginning and he just kept proving everyone wrong. That being said, this situation was nothing new. Being dumped on a planet by the Necromongers he was supposed to be in command of, and didn't that make him want to snarl in rage, in order to kill him was nothing he hadn't seen countless times before. Despite his injuries, he would survive. The kid was another matter.

Sam was as fragile as fine glass work when compared to the infamous convict. Their first meeting had resulted in Sam being labeled as a liability. In the two and a half years since then, time spent leading an increasingly reluctant army of Necros, the label had changed from liability to fragile. Something that needed to be protected. These conditions would eat the kid alive if Riddick wasn't careful. Already the blazing sun beating down on them had Sam's fairer skin reddening and his face strained. The fall hadn't injured him quite as badly as it had the convict but the broken ankle caused the kid's face to turn white with pain even through the sunburns every time he had to place weight on it. Riddick himself was sporting cuts and a broken leg where the armor had been banged off. He'd patch that up later. For now his main priority was to get them out of the sun and to somewhere with water.

It took effort to coax Sam into moving. Jack wasn't with them and without her Sam went from fine crystal to painfully thin glass. Already cracks were showing and he trembled in the oppressive heat. It wouldn't be long before flashbacks started striking and Riddick would have to drag the kid where they needed to go. Possibly with the kid fighting him the whole way. They made slow time through the heat, dragging their way across rocks. Riddick stopped them at the edge of a river, motioning for Sam to stay put. The kid did, eyes glassy and movements uncoordinated. It only took a moment to sniff at the water and realize it wasn't drinkable. _Poison._ He could manage for a day or so longer without any liquid but the kid would be gone in hours. Dehydration could kill as easily as a well placed shiv. That was when he heard the dogs.

It took a moment of adjusting to see them and by then Sam was already aware that something had gone wrong. The kid was trying to shift himself up so he could see where the danger was coming from. Ordinarily Sam had enough common sense to avoid doing something truly stupid but this was not most situations . "Stay down," Riddick ordered in a raspy voice, not at all surprised when the kid stilled. He took direction well. The dogs had caught their scent, noses down towards the ground as they snuffled along the trail the pair must be leaving behind. The water would be their only chance to survive. Without a thought towards any kind of explanation he dragged Sam into the water with him.

For a moment the kid thrashed, startled and panicked, but Riddick kept him held down and after a minute he went limp. Whether he trusted the con or was simply resigned to his fate was anyone's guess. The dogs loomed over them, dark shadows waiting for them to emerge for air, and eels slithered about them like moving seaweed. Long minutes passed, the air growing stale in his lungs, before they gave up and left the two for dead. Riddick pulled them up, Sam gasping and choking and spitting up water, though probably not enough that he'd be truly sickened by the poison in it. Riddick studied their surroundings, look for a source they could possibly drink from. Nothing in sight yet but the dogs were gone. One problem solved so another could start. Story of his life.

He found them shelter from the sun, wondering absently how long the kid'd hold on to his sanity before he had another problem to add to his list. Already Sam was twitching occasionally, eyes flickering towards something only he could see. The heat went on as they rested, Riddick moving the armor from one leg to the injured one in order to set it so it would heal right. The kid's would be harder to fix. He turned then, peering over the ridge of rock that sheltered them some from the sweltering light of the sun, and lifted his goggles, squinting against the harsh glare. Running water caught his eye. Maybe they could actually drink it.

"Come on kid," he managed to get out past his parched throat, pulling Sam up. The kid whimpered in pain, swaying slightly. His heartbeat was too fast when the con pressed fingers against his pulse point and his forehead was fever hot. Neither one was a good sign. They made slow progress towards the waterfall, Riddick keeping an eye out for the return of the dogs. They hadn't re-emerged yet but they would. Eventually.

Sam stumbled, whimpering in pain, and almost went down completely. His face had turned white as a clean linen sheet and sweat was dripping down in visible streaks. "Come on, up," Riddick growled. The kid flinched and hunched in on himself, muscles going tense. Time was up. Sane Sam was gone and the panicky one trapped in a flashback was going to stick around for a while. Only one way to deal with the kid in this state. Riddick dragged him up and along, wincing in pain at the throb it sent through his leg, and ignored the frightened whimpers his actions earned him.

It took longer than he would have liked to reach the water and when they did, well what they found wasn't something to be celebrated. There were monsters in the water, creatures the likes of which he hadn't seen before. And Riddick had seen a lot of strange things since he'd started wandering the universe. In truth, their arrival to the water had been innocent enough. The liquid had been mostly hidden by shadows and was cool enough to jolt the kid out of whatever nightmare of a flashback he'd been living in, though he was still soaked in a nervous sweat. Then the dogs had come again.

At first, lurking in the shadows, Riddick had thought he'd need to fight them off. Then the first creature had emerged from the shadows. It had a skull like tail that rose, swaying for a moment before it catapulted its whole body out to attack and quickly kill one of the dogs. The caught creature let out a keening whine and Sam whimpered, burying his head against Riddick's side as the animal died. That was why the convict glanced behind him and saw the skull.

The second, larger creature launched itself out of the water and Sam let out a frightened cry as Riddick shoved him aside. The con grabbed a loose bone left from god knows what that had been killed there earlier and struggled to batter the thing away. He wasn't going to die on this planet at a Necromonger's whim. Vaako's treachery was not going to be the end of him. Or the kid. He shoved the creature aside and limped back, guiding the kid with an arm. The entire planet wanted a chunk of them. It was time to get out of the open.

* * *

_"There are bad days and then there are legendary bad days. This was shaping up to be one of those. Trapped on a desert planet wasn't the worst situation I'd been in but with the kid in tow? This wasn't gonna be anything good."_

* * *

The kid healed fast, for a human. An injury like that on Jack would have taken over a month to heal. On the kid, two weeks was enough to have him limping a bit on it. Riddick took the time to build up their supplies and revive the full animal inside him. The one that had somehow gotten civilized leading the Necros. He also found a puppy. The thing might not have been fond of him but it took to Sam like a duck to water. The kid was the only one who could reach his hand through the makeshift bars without being snapped at. The pup obviously considered him a friend. The animal inside Riddick was satisfied, content he had something back at his home to guard the kid while was gone. Then he saw what was past the monsters.

There was a whole 'nother part of this planet. Grass, fresh water, and possible civilization. A way out and back to Jack. There was only one big problem; the monsters. They were poison and he and Sam had to get past them. There was one possibility; immunity. He tested it on the puppy first. Sam was anything but pleased until the pup survived. Riddick went through next, knowing the kid was still healing. The bone might have fixed itself, but the tendons and ligaments around it were still fragile. It took him two days to get through the process. It took Sam four and the kid still went through bouts of sickness when Riddick set out to see how hard it was to kill one of those things. He didn't realize the kid and the pup were going to follow until he heard the barking.

The pup was bounding around yapping at one of the smaller creatures in a pond, tail swishing a little. Sam followed behind, still limping a little. "Escape artist huh?" Riddick asked the pup. "Or did he help you?" Sam shook his head, smiling slightly. Then his eyes widened.

" _Riddick!_ " he yelped and the con turned to see a massive monster behind him. The next few minutes were a blur. Sam grabbed the quickly growing puppy as Riddick slid under the largest monster, gutting it. 

"Move," he snapped as soon as the creature was down. Sam jolted but did, the puppy still yapping in his arms. They were alive, for now, and they could get past the monsters. Time to move on.

* * *

_"Things got better on the plains. Move water, more food, and slightly cooler temperatures. Still, the kid hadn't healed completely and there were still flashbacks to deal with. But we made it. In time to find possible mercs."_

* * *

The first sign of the trouble was the dog bringing back possible sign of civilization. Then there was the massive bear trap that had chomped somebody's head. The corpse lay there, nothing but brittle bones long baked by the harsh sun. The building lay just over the ridge. Riddick had a bad feeling about this. "Stay," he rumbled, holding a hand out to halt his companions. Sam did as he was told, scratching at the pup's ears. Riddick might be the alpha in their little group but the pup and the kid were friends.

The station was empty of life but it'd been used by bounty hunters. Not the kind of people the con wanted around the kid. It also had military MREs which had been declared inedible by both the con and the pup. Sam had taken one look at the offending thing and given the convict a skeptical glance as well. Their situation was still far from ideal but it was manageable. And he had no doubt that Jack would be looking for them. Heaven help anyone who got in their way. That was when the rain came.

Initially he didn't see a problem, despite the fact that the pup was uneasy. "Rain's a good thing," he told the dog. "Just because you've never seen it before doesn't mean it's bad." The dog whined again and, at Riddick's side, the kid shuddered.

"Water," he muttered. "There's going to be water everywhere." Slowly Riddick lifted his goggles and realized the kid was right. Soon enough the monsters would be able to move where they wished and who knew how long the rain would last. 

"Looks like our time here is up," he said, nudging the kid lightly in an attempt to calm him. Time to activate the emergency beacon. Maybe Toombs would show up. Then again, maybe he hadn't gotten off Crematoria yet. Time to find out.

* * *

_"Mercs came all right. Saw my name and came runnin'. And the first set had a box they thought they were gonna put my head in. Fat chance of that. They were dead men walkin'. The second group I wasn't sure about. They looked more military, like the Rangers that'd kicked me to Cold Storage. Still, two ships. One for me and the kid and one for them. We'd see how long it'd take for them to take my offer."_


	2. Sam

_Vaako had betrayed them. Sam had trusted the commander, as much as he could trust anyone besides his small family, and the man had sent them to their deaths. There would be Hell to pay for that. Sam was going to make sure of that._

* * *

Riddick was playing with the mercs. Night had fallen a few hours ago, the red moon rising high in the sky, and Riddick had taken the dog and gone to mess with them. "I left them an ultimatum," the con had told Sam. "We'll see how long it takes for them to take it." For a long time it was silent. Then the screaming started. For a moment Sam thought he had a good grip on reality but the screams keep coming. That was all it took for what grasp on sanity he had to slip away.

Abruptly he was in Hell again, chained down to Meg's rack. She was crooning a low song, something like a lullaby, but he couldn't hear her over his own screams and sobs. It was early, the memories of the torture his brother and father had gone through before their agonizing deaths still fresh in his mind, and the thought that they were dead only made his hysteria worse. Eventually he screamed himself hoarse but Hell was full of screaming and the sounds kept going, echoing on and on in his mind long after Meg had left him to try to sleep. It felt as if they drilled their way into his skull, made a home there, and took him apart piece by piece. In a way it was worse than the torture that left him bleeding and near death.

When he finally came back around Riddick was there, sitting just close enough that he was the first thing Sam saw but far enough away that he didn't feel trapped. "Doin' okay kid?" he asked, voice still that low rumble of thunder that had terrified him the first time he'd heard the convict speak. Sam opened his mouth to reply and then winced at the jagged feeling of his throat. Hesitantly he nodded, hands still shaking from terror. The flashbacks were so real that they weren't something Sam just bounced back from. Instead they left him gasping and shaking, weak and vulnerable. It was a wonder that Riddick hadn't taken the chance to get rid of him then.

The con handed over a water skin and Sam drank, the dog curling around him with a low whine. "I thought I had it this time," he croaked, voice barely a whisper as he kept all focus on the dog, stroking its ruff. The repetitive motion soothed him, reminded him that he was far away from the tortures of Hell.

"It's not somethin' you can control," Riddick replied with a shrug. "'Sides you're doin' fine, considerin' the circumstances." Sam took a tight grip in the ruff and nodded hesitantly, startled with the convict ruffled his hair. "Get some rest," he said. "Then I'll tell you what's gonna happen next." Sam nodded and relaxed as best he could, dog curled up with him as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_Getting off this God forsaken planet wasn't going to be easy. Sam had known that from the moment he'd regained consciousness after Krone had taken the whole ledge he and Riddick had been on and detached it from the cliff face. Still, if anyone could manage it the infamous Richard B. Riddick would be it._

* * *

Sam hated this plan. "The ones comin' after me won't hurt you," the convict had rumbled. "And you'll be safer with 'em than you will be with me for what comes next." In simpler terms, Riddick was letting Sam get taken in. Now he sat in the darkness of the caves while the convict checked out the mercs' home base. He watched as the shot at the dead merc's body, just like Riddick had predicted. The dog bolted by, an attention director. Everything going just as it had been planned. 

He winced as bright light hit his eyes, shielding them from view. Maybe they weren't as sensitive as Riddick's but that light still hurt. This was the risky part. There was a chance they were all so spooked about the con already that they'd just kill him now. Game over. One ticked straight to Hell, no stops. Sam swallowed hard as time seemed to slow around him. "Don't shoot," he heard a voice bark, sounding as military as his real father ever had. "Hold your fire. It isn't him." Sam let out a shaky breath, shivering slightly as relief washed over him. He was sweating, nerves still washing over him in torrents like the coming rain.

One of the men on the side, darker skin than Riddick's with no hair and body armor like the others, stepped forward and Sam shrank back on instinct. His trust for those outside his family, even his potential for trust, had been shattered by Vaako's betrayal. The man in the lead snapped an arm out, halting the other man. Then he crouched, not moving any closer. "Easy now. We're not here to hurt you." Sam forced himself to suck in a breath. This wasn't like Hell. If he didn't breathe for long enough he'd be dead and the world would be doomed.

"How'd a kid end up here?" he heard the dark haired man ask. "There was only one life form registered on the emergency beacon."

"Worry about that later," the man in the lead said. "For now let's get the kid out of here." So Riddick had been right now. Game on. The leader offer his hand and Sam had to fight past his instinctual reaction to bolt, still wasn't doing that any time soon on his ankle, and hesitantly took the offered hand. He was pulled to his feet, whimpering as his ankle twinged in pain.

"Shit," the dark skinned man said. "He's got an injury." Sam wobbled a bit, steadied himself, and snarled silently, gritting his teeth against the pain. He could do this. He could manage the pain, keep Hell in a box, until this was all over. He had to, just in case things went south.

"Can you walk?" the leader asked. "Just enough to get us out of the cave." Sam nodded, forcing himself to move, albeit carefully. Riddick would need them back soon if he was every going to have a chance to get the power nodes. The longer they dallied here, the larger the chance Riddick would be discovered. Time to move this little game forward.

* * *

_He couldn't say he was pleased with being in the hands of mercs but so far everything was going to plan. Riddick had laid it out, everything that would happen from this point forward, and it worked. Now to see if they all got off this planet alive._

* * *

Riddick had screwed with the locker. Not that Sam was really surprised about that but it was amusing to watch the merc with the box shake like that. Then the yelling broke out. Before he knew it guns were aiming everywhere and Sam felt panic curling in his chest. "Easy kid," the woman murmured softly, keeping the gun fixed on the crazy merc with the sword. "Everything's going to be fine." 

It took a moment before she was proved right and the guns were put down. "I'm not opening that locker," the box merc, Santana, said, voice wavering slightly.

"Here's the thing," the leader of the mercs that had brought Sam in said, voice low. "You never open that locker and we never go home." Sam watched the very moment that sunk in and Santana turned the key. It opened without exploding, the nodes still inside. Everything was going perfectly. Now all Riddick had to do was take the nodes and make the trade. They'd be off planet before the rain even full hit and woke the things probably lurking beneath the dirt.

As the mercs discussed strategy Sam kept an eye out for Riddick. Time would be limited for the con to take the power nodes and if the plan was to work then the nodes were vital. A flash in the shadows caught his attention, silver eyes studying him. Sam nodded once, shortly, to acknowledge that he was fine and Riddick vanished back into the shadows. The con might have said the mercs wouldn't harm Sam but he wasn't going to move forward until he had received confirmation that his guess was correct. Those power nodes were as good as gone.

One of the mercs, the dark skinned one, made his way over to where the nodes were stored. He studied the cabinet for a moment before moving behind it, to where Riddick would be lurking. Sam found himself holding his breath for a moment and had to force himself to behave normally. One wrong move here and the entire game would be over. Another of the mercs moved in front of his view for a moment and when he shifted again Sam knew, somehow, that the nodes were gone. Step two successfully completed. Now on to the final phase. He could do this.

The dark haired merc went silently after his companion. Sam didn't hear what was being said but when they came out the dark haired man went to check on the power nodes. Sure enough, they were gone. He couldn't help the small grin that curled at his lips at that discovery. Riddick had taken the nodes and left them high and dry. Now they'd have no choice but to negotiate with the con.

The moments after the nodes were stolen was chaos. There were only four mercs in the room; the leader and the other two that had found Sam and the monster sized one who was far too unworried about Riddick to be safe. "It was him," the massive one snapped, spinning on Sam with dark, furious eyes. "He's a fucking plant for Riddick. A distraction to keep us busy while he stole the nodes." The merc was far too close and Sam forced himself to his feet, pressing back against the wall.

"Diaz," the leader barked sharply. "Enough!" The merc backed off reluctantly enough that Sam knew this mess wasn't over yet, leaving the room. The lead merc met Sam's eyes steadily for a moment and he added, "Stay here. If I find you gone when I get back, I won't hesitate to track you down. Understand?" Sam nodded once and the man left. He watched the merc go curiously. The man had been behaving as if Sam were invisible up until the point where Diaz had gotten too close. Then he'd revealed that he was all too aware of Sam's location. It was strangely comforting. So was the knowledge the negotiations would start soon enough and Sam would be off this planet. The sooner he got back to Kyra, the better off everyone would be.

* * *

_Only one step left, negotiation, and they'd be off this planet before it had rained enough to get dangerous. With any luck they'd be off this planet before it even started to rain. Sam should have known better. He hadn't been lucky a day in his life before he'd met Kyra and she wasn't there now._


	3. Boss Johns

_He'd been searching for the truth for so long. What happened the day the_ Hunter-Gratzner _crashed had been declared a closed case. The only survivor that he'd been able to track down, a holy man now dead on Helion Prime, had been mysteriously close mouthed about the whole situation. And now the answers were here, just beyond his reach._

* * *

Negotiations did not go well. Riddick made his little plug, told them no one would want to be on the planet when the storm broke, and informed them they had until the rain reached the ridge they were on to decide. Then he'd turned to walk away. Santana, the colossal fuck up that he was, had tried to shot Riddick and all hell had broken loose. A dog, probably the same one Dahl had tagged earlier, had jumped out of the scrub to attack Santana. And Riddick went for his shivs.

Whatever tranqs Dahl was shooting into him obviously weren't strong enough because the con just kept going. It was, quite honestly, a bit intimidating to watch. Santana was scrambling in the dirt for his gun, trying to shove the dog off of him. Johns normally would have dismissed it but just when he was about to turn his focus to Riddick the gun moved. At first it just twitched. Then, right before Santana's hand would have closed around it, it slid just out of his reach. Riddick made a sharp movement at the same time and the dog bolted into the brush again.

Santana lunged for the gun with a snarl, raising it towards Riddick, and Johns knocked him over the head with the butt of his gun. "I've got this Dahl," he told her over the comm before she could fire any more tranqs. Then he proceeded to hit Riddick over the head as well. Diaz, who had gone for his gun, hesitated. "Grab your boss," Johns ordered sharply, already grabbing Riddick. "We're heading back."

The kid was waiting right where he left him, face pale and streaked with what was either sweat or tears. Relief washed over his face before quickly vanishing when he saw Riddick and the unconscious Santana being brought in. Dahl smirked when she saw Santana, her obvious approval of his unconsciousness a little amusing. They chained Riddick up, waiting for him to wake up. The kid settled next to Riddick, only a couple feet of distance between the two of them. It was the closest Johns had seen him to anyone since they'd brought him out of the cave. Something was between the convict and the kid but he hadn't quite figured out what yet. Now all they had to do was wait until Riddick decided to wake up.

* * *

_He'd been tracking Riddick since he'd discovered the convict had survived when he son had died. He'd traced rumors and whispers and watched as Riddick broke out of more than one slam as was his habit. He'd almost given up hope of ever finding the truth. Then the emergency beacon had gone off and named Riddick as the only living being. And where Riddick went he followed._

* * *

It didn't take as long as it should have for Riddick to wake up. Those eerie silver eyes turned first to the kid, then to scan across the remaining mercs as if he was taking their measure. Johns grabbed the box Santana was so fond of and pulled it up so he could sit comfortably in front of the con. It was time to get some answers. "Riddick," he said. No response. "Riddick." The con still didn't respond and his anger got the better of him. He lashed out and Riddick's head snapped back for a moment, making the kid flinch. 

"Johns." Moss's voice was low and disapproving. "We're beating them in the chains now?" It took him a moment to remember how to shake his head in denial.

"Okay," he said, taking a deep breath. "Let's start at the beginning. For the historical record the passenger ship _Hunter-Gratzner_ , which my son picked to transport you was struck by a rogue meteorite near a planet with three suns and one habitable planet. Does my son survive the crash?" Riddick smirked, silver eyes gleaming.

"Big drama in the next few hours. But whatever happens, not matter what they tell you," he rumbled, voice low and satisfied. "Don't let them take me out of these chains. Because when the chains come off, box boy, you do in the first five seconds." He motioned to Santana, the chains rattling.

"I'd like yo see you try. You go after me," Santana snarled. "And the kid goes." The boy flinched, sliding closer to Riddick whose eyes went dark.

"The kid gets hurt," he said, voice so low Santana had to lean closer to hear. "And you'll wish you were dead long before I actually kill you." Then he turned back to Johns. "For the historical record, he made it."

"It was just you and him?" he asked, feeling relief swell in his chest over finally, possibly knowing the truth.

"There was about the same number you see here," Riddick replied, scanning the group.

"So how many made it off?"

"Three."

"But not him."

"No."

"So between the time of the crash and the time you left my son died. I assume I can safely say that you killed him." Riddick didn't respond and Johns swore, jerking off the box and stalking away.

Riddick turned toward Dahl then. "Tell me what you see out the window." She hesitated a moment and Johns nodded. For now he would humor Riddick in the hope that it would get him some answers. Dahl sighed and moved from her position leaning against the wall, making her way to the window.

"Cyclops unit,couple ships, and two dead guys in plastic," she said, her voice exasperated.

"And nothing else?" he asked, his smirk saying he knew something they didn't.

"Nothing else," she told him, expression irritated.

"Let me know you do," he informed her. Santana snarled about putting Riddick's head in a box and Johns didn't have the energy to deny him. Instead he turned to Riddick one last time, trying to convince him to spill the rest. His shouting startled the kid who now pressed himself tight against Riddick's leg. The con nudged him lightly but didn't reply as it started to rain. Instead he glanced toward the ceiling and said, "Time's up." The kid whimpered and Johns turned the con over to Santana, motioning for Moss to move the kid. That got a reaction.

The startled, terrified scream the kid let out startled everyone. Moss dropped the kid's arm and Riddick snarled, Santana jerking back with his sword in hand. That was when the cyclops started going crazy. Johns moved out into the rain, leaving the kid to huddle up next to the chained convict. Rain was pouring down from the sky like some kind of judgement from above and the ground was seething. Monsters were crawling out and it was all they could do to head back to the station and lock it down. Things had just gotten bad.

* * *

_The answers weren't coming like he'd hoped but now wasn't the time to worry about that. Now he needed to focus on the creatures swarming everywhere and getting his team out of this mess alive._

* * *

They got Lockspur first, then Moss. The banging noise echoed through the room, making them tense in anticipation before they realized it was coming from inside. That was when Riddick started laughing. "Here's what's gonna happen," he told them. "In sixty seconds you're gonna take these chains off me. Then, when things bad, Johns here is gonna fold just like little Johns did, and in the end, when most of you are dead, the boy and I are gonna get off this planet." Johns knew then that there was only one way this was going to end with them surviving. Unfortunately, Santana was an idiot. 

The man pulled his blade out, insisting that the chains stayed on. Riddick was unconcerned, eyes flicking toward the kid. "Left boot," he said, voice nice and steady. "Jus' waitin' for you." What happened next happened fast and once Johns mind registered it all Santana was dead and the kid had a shiv in hand. Santana's head dropped into the box.

"Holy shit," Luna said, eyes wide.

"I say we cut him loose," Diaz added.

"That was five seconds." Dahl was the last one to speak, looking impressed.

"I like to be a man of my word," Riddick replied. "How about you, Johns?"

They made their way outside with Riddick unchained, the kid sticking close to the con. They blasted the creatures out of the way and headed for the ship where the Hogs were kept. It would be the fastest, safest way to get to the nodes. That was when one of the creatures, a tiny one, lunged at Vargas. The kid stumbled in the way, either by accident or by design, and the thing was dead but not before it got the stinger. His eyes met Riddick's and the con nodded once. "The small ones have the most venom," he said easily. "You'll stay behind in case you go through it again." The kid nodded once and Riddick turned to Vargas. "You keep an eye on him. If something happens to him, your head is next." Vargas nodded once as they boarded the ship.

* * *

_He'd thought that when he found Riddick he'd be bringing the man to another slam after he got his answers. Instead here he was working for the con, all for the sake of the survival of his team. It set heavy and bitter in his chest, like some kind of poison he couldn't quite shake._

* * *

The ride to the nodes were quick. Diaz destroyed his Hog with a careless motion, Riddick finding the entire situation humorous. "You asshole, motherfucker," Johns snarled, losing control of his mouth. He'd just almost been killed by one of those creatures and the con had stood there and watched.

"I would'a backed you up," Riddick replied smugly. "But you said no weapons." Then he patted the back of the cycle. "How bad do you want those nodes, Johns?"

The ride to the nodes, from that point was short. Riddick dug up the nodes and Johns dug for answers, not believing anything he was being told. Maybe Riddick had no reason to lie to him, but he also had no reason to tell the truth. Then everything went further south. Diaz lashed out, flooring him and going after Riddick. That, as it turned out, was a mistake. The con took out Diaz as easy as could be with a hidden blade, leaving them, in the end, with no Hogs. They'd have to run back. "We'll see if a lack of spine runs in the family," was Riddick's last jab before they left the shelter where the nodes had been buried behind. They'd have to fight their way back.

Riddick was a formidable battle partner, fearless and confidant. His night vision doubtless assisted with the enitre process and he was more than capable of covering Johns' back. Then something happened that Johns hadn't thought he'd lived to see; something got the better of Riddick. One of the creatures had jabbed the con as its dying action, and not in a good spot. It'd heal, but it'd also render Riddick mostly immobile. Only one choice now, leave Riddick behind. Johns tossed a grenade. He'd have to make the rest of the run himself. 

He took the second node with him and bolted, sprinting for the ship. The door came down from the ship as he came into view. Dahl, Luna, and Vargas had probably seen him coming on the radar. He stumbled, fell in relief as he reached the bottom, and shoved the node into Dahl's arms. "Take it," he yelled and the kid emerged, the dog from earlier at his side. Wide, worried hazel eyes met his and then scanned the darkness behind him.

"Is it just you?" Dahl demanded, shoving the node into Luna's arms and helping him up.

"Just slam this thing in and see if it works," he demanded as they unfastened their power node from his back.

"Is it just you?" she snapped again.

"Just see if it fucking works," he snarled at her and she went.

" _You fucking bastard_." The words were a low snarl and, despite his exhaustion, Johns managed to spin and catch the kid's arm before the blow connected. The kid flinched at that and the dog snarled. "You left him."

"We're going back, you here me," he snapped back. "But we're taking the ship." Then he dropped the kids arm and headed for the cockpit of the ship. He didn't look back.

Riddick had moved from where he'd left the con, further uphill so the creatures could only come at him from one direction. Johns was pleased that his aim was good and in less than a minute the con was in the ship. The kid was the first one to move, huddling into the convict's side. Riddick's hand came up to cup the back of the kid's head where it rested against his chest, the other arm limp on the ground. "Hey," he said, that rumbling voice softer and gentler than anything Johns had heard from the man. "You did good." The kid let out a shuddering breath for a moment, then stiffened.

"You're hurt."

"Nothin' that won't heal," the con replied with a smirk. Johns knelt as well, meeting the kid's eyes when they turned towards him.

"We good?" he asked and, after a moment, he got a nod in reply. That earned him Riddick's scrutiny for a moment before the con turned to the kid, smirk still in place.

"Ready to go home?"

"Yeah."

* * *

_"A lot of good men died here Riddick. I'm not sure I can overlook this," he told Riddick over the comm link between the two ships. "Next time."_


End file.
